THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAN, , PORTLAND, OCTOBER 13, 1907.
11
JSssj
"A :
LFRED, I am becoming uneasy
bout you. lor I am sure you
are getting too stout. -Don't
A-ou think, dear, that you should do
tomething to reduce your superfluous
flesh?" and his wife bestowed such a
look of affectionate concern upon him
that Mr. Mudd murmured, "breakers
ahead," and waited for the symptoms to
Sevelop Into trouble, as he knew they
would.
"Yes," she continued, tenderly, "you
require more outdoor exercise. The of
fice Is close and stuffy, and you sit
cramped up all day why, actually," and
hr voice trembled with emotion, "you
seldom see the sun, poor man."
Mr. Mudd's thoughts strayed back to
the numerous afternoons ' during which
he had boiled and broiled upon the bleach
ers at Twenty-fourth and Vaughn under
the torrid rays of the luminary men
tioned, but wisely maintained a discreet
alienee and waited, nervously.
"My love," he was feeling his way, cau
tiously "I might walk home each even
ing or help you pick the roses, or "
"I have It." The uninitiated would
have thought this a brilliant Inspiration
of the moment, but Mr. Mudd was well
aware that It had been In preparation
all day. "I have It," she repeated,
tensely.
"Iet's have It," he replied, also tensely.
"The slabwood." Her voice sank to a
thrilling whisper. So did his as he ex
Blaitned, "darn the slabwood."
"Alfred." Mrs. Mudd sat up very
straight In her chair and her eyes pierced
his inmost soul; "your language is hard
ly as high "
"As the price of slabwood," he feebly
ventured.
" as highly refined as might be ex
pected of one in your station in life."
"My angel." he asked, soothingly,
"what are the relative positions of our
wood pile and my obesity?"
"I want you to put the wood In the
basement, yourself, this year."
"Hobo work," he protested.
Mrs. Mudd Ignored the remark and
continued: "Get a pair of rough gloves
and begin tomorrow evening."
"I know I ain't henpecked," mut
tered Mr. Mudd the following day Ut 7
P. M.. ai he trundled the wheelbarrow
to the 10 loads of waste that were
strewn for a hundred feet along the
curb, "but somehow she always has
her way."
Ha rilled and lit his corncob a corn
cob pipe and a woodpile Invariably go
together and surveyed the task before
him.
"Wonder why Mart ordered oak. this
year. Guess I'll put It In first, anyway,"
and, ere he quit for the night, the one
lone load of oak at the far end of his
lot had found Its way into his base
ment. Mr. Mudd sighed contentedly as he
drew off his gloves and entered the
house, being rather pleased at the un
expected exhilaration the heavy work
had produced, removed his sweater,
washed his face and hands and ap
peared before his wife wearing a tri
umphant smile.
"What was that awful crash I heard,
Alfred?" she asked.
"My love, in my enthusiasm I broke
a pane In the sash." Mr. Mudd failed
to add that part of the sash had fol
lowed the glass. He also neglected to
mention tho wreck of the hanging
shelf when a wild throw of a heavy
John I.. Glvtn'i "Ma kin a New paper,"
an Accurate account of newspaper organl
catii n and niMhodn, has ben adopted aa
a text-book f"r tha course In Journalism
at Bueknell University and the University
of Illinois.
furinua readers who ilka to penetrate pen
names will be Interested to learn that the
ral name of Kllsa .alvert Hall, the author
of "Aunt Jane of Kentucky" la Llda, Calvert
Obenchaln. and that sh la the wife of
J'rofessor A M. Obcnchaln. the president of
URden College. Bowling Green. Ky.
The Harpers will soon publish a novel by
Mrs. James H. Canfleid. wife of the librarian
of Columbia University and mother of Doro
thy Canfleid, whose name Is familiar to
the readers of magazines aa the author of
striking short stories. This is Mrs. Can
Acid's first venture In the literary Held.
New novels from the Century Company:
Pv Anne Pouglas Sedgwick and Helen R
Martin; '"The Quest of the Colonial' by
Robert and Elisabeth Bhackleton; "A Tus
can Childhood-: by Llsl Clprlana; and Ths
lied Helen." KelTofg Durland'a record of
a vear'a wanderings, adventure and observa
tions In Russia.
Autumn book of travel will Include one
by A. Henry Savage Landor, "Across Wild
est Africa." If he writes aa picturesquely
as he did In bis book on Tibet he ought to
be amusing. His latest expedition extended
from PJlbutl on the Ea:t Coast to Cape
Verde, a distance of S300 miles. Another
new travel book will be Douglas S laden'.
"Queer Things About Persia," written with
the assistance of Eustgi'he de Lorey.
Among the many amusing anecdotes told
by John Burroughs in his new book "Camp
tug and Tramping with Roosevelt." la the
following: "The rough riders, wherever thev
are. always look to President Roosevelt
w hen in trouble. One had come to grief In
Art son a. He was In jail. So he wrote the
President, and his letter ran something like
this: 'Dear Colonel. 1 am In trouble. I
shot a Isdy In the eye. bin I did not intend
to hit the lady. I was shooting at my
w ife.' '
Thla week will see the publication of
'Storlea ami Sketches" b Dr. Mary Putnam
JacobU The book naturally appears under
the Putnam imprint. At the time of their
first publication, these papers received fav
oraMe attention from the critics aa well for
literary quality a for originality of con
ception and imaginative powt-r. So ex
perienced an editor as Richard Watson Glid
er described the paper printed tn iScrlbner'a
In 1S71 as '"on of the best American mega
alne articles of which he had knowledge."
In rewriting and revlalng hie Reetllec
t'ona of Possum." Hall Calne ia reverting
to the book wherewith he made his liter
ary debut a quarter of a century ago. The
new edition will be Issued In London yerv
soon, and will Include "new letters, new
Maraphical material, and a great deal of
matter whlrn U was thought undesirable to
fublish Immediately after the poet s death."
t will be of more than ordinary Interest to
read Hall Calne's twentieth century verdict
upon his nineteenth century friend.
e e
An Interesting note qm the reading pub
lic in Sweden appears In the London Book
man. Writing from Stockholm, a corre
spondent of that Journal says: "English
authors are read here less than Qertnan and
French, and lo the Tauchnlts editions chief
ly, but there ara Swedish translations, at
moderate prices, of most of our popular
novaiists. A year or two ago there was a
great run on Mr. Kipling's books, and they
are still widely read. 8j are the works of
Lafcadlo Hearn. I find titevenaon little
known and Thackeray little read. Dickons
la. without doubt, the popular English clas
sic. The Swedes are at the moment neglect
lug foreign literature comparatively, and
IN LIBRARY AND WORKSHOP
Hoy a. Portland man. 'wrestled with
& slabwood proposition, end the result
slab, containing ten pounds of river
water, destroyed eight jars of fruit
thereon, but wisely removed all evi
dences of the crime ere aha returned
from her visit to a neighbor tho next
evening.
"Well, Alfred." she remarked at din
ner, a week later, "you have gotten In
over half the wood and, my, how your
appetite has improved. It Is really do
ing you a world of good, besides sav
ing at least $7. That's what a man
wanted for the Job."
"I do feel better from the exercise,"
he answered, heartily, "except that I'm
just breaking out all over with the
hives," and he clawed frantically at
himself In a dozen places at once.
"That's from overheated blood. I'll
get you a bottle of something to cool
It, tomorrow."
' 'That'll be another dollar," he
thought. "Wonder what It'll cost to
patch up that hole In the furnace where
I hit It tonight?"
Mr. Mudd toiled manfully to the last
and. while large quantities of his en
thusiasm had oozed out and vanished,
still, as he wheeled the last load of
fuel up to the window he felt that he
had accomplished something worth
while. He sat down upon the wheel
barrow, tired but happy.
"Hullo, Mudd! Puttln' In your wood?"
"Hullo. Jumble! Yes; that's what I'm
doing. Mipht have been giving the tree
toads a music lesson or hoeing our. nut
meg patch, but I'm only putting in the
wood."
"Uh-uh! Funny thing where my load of
oak went to. Was left below your slub,
but it's gone,' every stick of it."
"Wh-what!" gasped Mr. Mudd. "Was
was that your oak?"
"Sure, and I need It bad."
"Why. I thought It was ours, so I
threw it in flsst."
"Well, you'll have to throw it out again.
Can't get any more for two weeks."
"Can't I buy it?"
"Nope. Got to have it myself."
"All right." sighed Mr. Mudd. "I'll get
it out from under the pile tomorrow."
giving more encouragement to their own
authors. All the publishers now Issue cheap
reprints of Swedish classics, and some re
cant and living writers have attained high
circulations Selma Lagerlof has just been
given the honorary degree of LL. D. by the j
University of Upsala the first Swedish wo-
man so honored.
see
Another of the Colerldgea haa passeoV away
In the person of Mary Elisabeth Coleridge,
a grandnlece of the poet. In her modest
and unpretentious literary career, she gained
an enviable reputation among the best
literarv Judges by her novels, "The King
With Two Faces," "The Fiery Dawn," "The
Shadow on the Wall," and "The Lady on
the Drawing-room Floor." She was a writer
of verses In sympathy with the Pre
Raphaelite school, and she was active aa a
reviewer.
e
The woman who publishes her books over
the name of Christopher Hare haa shown
In her Italian studies that she has a flair
for a good subject, and she shows this
again In her forthcoming volume. Under
the title of "Louis XI, of France" she
treats of personalities and affairs in fifteenth
century Europe. Around the career of the
grim French King she weaves a story In
volving such events as the appearance of
Joan of Arc, the capture of Constantinople
by the Turks and the death of Edward IV
of England.
Leroy Pcott has had many requests from
actors and playwrights for the dramatisa
tion rights of his new book "To Him That
Hath'" and negotiations are now In progress
with one of our best known American act
ore. "To Him That Hath" will probably
be produced within a year. The chaplain
of one of the prisons recently wrote Mr.
Scott, author of the book mentioned: "Do
not let any one tell you that David is not
a real character. I could tell you of dozens
of Innocent people who are taking upon
themselves the sins of the guilty and suf
fering imprisonment. The prisons are tuil
of real Davids."
General Morris Schaff, whose interesting
reminiscences of "The Spirit of Old West
Point" will be published this month In book
form, with illustrations, additions, and re
visions, has received many letters of com
mendation from army men all over the
country. One of them reads as follows:
"Your work will have a beneficial effect
on a large number of readers who know lit
tle of the true spirit of West Point, which
la best known by, those who have been as
sociated with Its graduates in active serv
ice and have come to know of Us efficiency
in teaching patriotism, loyalty, devotion to
duty, courage, and manly fortitude. West
point is the Nation's most beneficent in
stitution. Thackeray's grave has been the subject
of several letters In the London Daily
Telegraph, owing to the fact that one -correspondent,
through error, complained that
the resting place of the novelist at East
Barnet was In a neglected condition. That
statement is false In two particulars. Thack
eray la not buried at East Barnet. but at
Kensal Green, and his grave la not la a
neglected condition. The confusion has
arisen from the faot that the novelist'
grandfather, whose name was the same,
was thought to be burled at East Barnet.
whereas, he Is Interred at Headley. Even
thst tomb is in aa excellent state of pres
ervation. One of the most interesting of the Fall
announcements is that of Mrs. Cornwallis
West's tLadv Randolph Churchill autobi
ography. There was a lively contest among
publishers and editors for the book, which
waa Anally secured by the Century Company
and will run serially through the Century
Magaaine. Mrs. Cornwallis West has al
ready proved herself a writer of talent.
As the wile of the lata Lord Randolph
"Wish you would, because I must have
It at once."
"Darn such luck!" and Mr-. Mudd
heaved a. huge slab savagely into the
basement and the boy howled: "Pa,
you've smashed my velocipede all to
pieces!"
"Did I? Well, don't cry, and don't tell
ma. I'll buy you another. Hush up,
now here she comes."
"Have you noticed a hatchet anywhere,
Alfred?" asked Mrs. Mudd from the foot
of the stairs.
"No, my dear."
"Well, It's down here, for I borrowed
It from Mrs. Jumble a couple of weeks
ago to open a box of peaches with and
forgot ail about It. She has just sent
Johnny after it. I. placed it In the box
so it would not get lost."
"Why, I did see a fruit box when I
commenced, but "
"But what?"
"It's buried under seven feet of wood
now."
"How careless of you. Tou must get It:
they need it. Johnny," she called, "I'll
send It over in the morning."
By 12 o'clock that night Mr. Mudd had
succeeded in burrowing to and hauling
out the hatchet. He was tired and cross,
and as he picked the slivers out of his
fingers the gloves now had holes at the
end of every finger he muttered:
"Window sash, two-fifty; gloves, one
fifty; repairing furnace, two dollars; ve
locipede, five-fifty; eight jars of fruit,
one-sixty: bottle of hive cure, one dollar;
total, fourteen dollars and ten cents
just seven-ten more than a man would
have charged to do the Job. Anyhow, I'll
bet a roll of butter I've reduced my
weight a whole lot."
v
Mr. Mudd was perched upon the grocer's
scales. Mrs. Mudd stood beside him. The
grocer adjusted the weights, and all eyes
examined the recording bar.
"Oh!" exclaimed Mrs. Mudd, disgust
edly.
"Ah!" exclaimed Mr. Mudd, dubiously.
"Ha, ha!" exclaimed the grocer, joy
ously.
Mr. Mudd had gained just eight pounds!
Churchill she lived a busy and Interesting
life. She entered fully into the spirit of
her husband's political ambitions and waa
of great assistance to him In the making
of his career. Somt time ago she attempted
editorship on an over-ambit lous scale, but
the effort wae not a pecuniary success.
though the contributions to the magaxlne
and Its gorgeous cover attracted wide at
tention. It in more than likely that her
son, Winston Churchill. Inherited his writ
ing talent from his mother, while from his
father he inherited a taste tor punnc me
And yet, the popular impression prevails
that In this world we are all equal and that
it Is mere money that has raised false
barriers between classes.
"Nursery Rhymes From Mother Goose"
which Grace G WiederBelm haa lust illus
trated In a fascinating manner, has always
been popular with children. The tltler ap
pears to have come from France, where
Queen Goosefoot or Bertha au pled the
mother or Chartemagne was regaraea as
the sneclal natron of chtlaren ana her fes
tival January second Is still celebrated. The
most- aeiinite source is cnane rerrauit s
"Contes de ma mee rOya (16W7) contain
ing ten stories, seven of which are from
the Pentamerone. "Mother Goose Melodies'
was printed in London by John Newbery In
17 '.50. Though the title Is probably of
French origin the songs are English, some
belonging to the time of Shakespeare and
earner.
A teacher of English in the Boston Nor
mal School writes: "I find It oue of my
most Interesting and at the same time most
mincuit amies to introduce my etuaems to
books which they In their turn may read
or recommend to children. There are plenty
of good collections of fairy tales and myths
ana cmgiisti verse, out stories about clili
dren suitable for children are few and far
between. Miss Sarah Orne Jewctt's 'Play
Days' and Johanna Spyrl's 'Heidi' have been
my etand-bya. With these I am delighted
to place Miss Ellxa Orne Whites children's
stories 'An Only Child' and all the others.
So are my pupils, and what is much more
10 me point, so are the children whom they
iacn. i ne stories are so genuine. at
wholesome In their Influence, and so inter
esting always. How does she remember so
wen how a little girl feels?"
Booth Tarklngton's new book. "His Own
People," just published, contains a surprise
that has nothing to do with the plot. With
tma volume the publishers Inaugrur&te
new Idea In American book-making. Upon
opening "His Own People" the first sight
which greets our eyes is the Grand Canal
of Venice In all the glow of an Italian
sunset. The double lining papers of the
book have been transformed from the usual
white, blank to this charming and famous
water scene. It la an auspicious beginning
i"r me inp upon wmcn air. Tarkingth
takes us. through Paris. Rome anrt the
Queen of the Adriatic. When we have come
to the end of our Journey, we bid "His Own
feopie- aaieu in a most ideal spot for
farewell to take place, the Plncian Hill in
Rome, beyond which Is seen the dome of
ei. romr a numg jn ine misty distance.
Lovers of artistic book-maklrg win wel
come mis most eirecnve decoration. Th
work is by the well-known artist St. John
Harper, who has caught the trua tints of
a Venetian sunset and the dellcat foliage
"I uiu main lUl-LOp.
Professor Pelham Edgar contribute an u
lumlnatlng article on George Meredith to the
i i iKua i rj (boimoni. we traces the
novelist's individual style to Frnh and Ger
man influence, especially to Richter. and re
calls that Mr. Meredith was educated In Ger
many. No doubt Carlyle had a considerable
Influence on him, but the Teutonic element is
modified by the French. Concerning the dif
ficulties in reading the Meredith novel Pro
feesor Edgar says: . "Rather more than enough
has been wld, even in the spirit of friend
liest criticism, of Mr. Meredith's obscurity.
He does nr,t. Indeed, take rank -with the
boudoir and hammock novelists. He cannot be
read profitably In half dose and he has lon
since reconciled himself to remaining a closed
book for ail who seek ia the poppied leave
of fiction lullaby sentiment as an opiate for
tired brains. But the difficulties of Mr. Mer
edith's style have been much exafgerated.Ks
punpent force and rich expressiveness not
sufficiently eppreclated. If we accept as read
a few baffling chapter and eliminate soma
Impossible imart converaatlons at Diana's din
ner table and elsewhere, all the rest, save for ,
a lew mannerisms, is clear gain, in lour oi
his novels. In "Evan Harrington." "Rboda
Fleming." "Harry Richmond" and "Vlttorla"
there is scarcely a verbal difficulty. In the
remaining 4CGO pages, granted that we have
grasped the writer' point of view, we need
dismiss no more than 20 pages as unintelli
gible. 1 may even boast of having made
conquests of meaning within this 20. but
whether the meaning Is my own or the
author's I shall never know."
-.
Arthur C. Benson, the author of a book
of essays entitled "From a College Wid
ow." is an English novelist who Is an
apostle of the meditative life. Ha admits
having so far written- tt books. The son
of an archbishop, like Charlotte Bronte.
ne is one or a literary trto. His brother,
E. F. Benson, is the author of "Dodo." and
another brother. Father Robert Hugh Ben-
son. writes novels of a different type. Mr.
Benson was for somo years a master at
Eton and at the present time he la a fellow
of Magdalene College, Cambridge. One re
viewer thinks that Benson suggests Charles
Lamb. Miss Hildegrade Hawthorne, tho
granddaughter of ' Nathaniel Hawthorns,
confesses that she reads Benean's books
"with ever-incraaslng admiration. They do
not. it may be. tell you anything you do
not already know, but they remind you of
many 'things which you are glad of knowing
and which you need to remember. Mr.
Benson's philosophy is carried along on
a quiet flow of humor much as the silver
current of a river bears a boat Insensibly
but surely. He paints his characters with
keen insight Into human nature, with a wise,
tolerance for fault and an amused smile
foibles." Harper-1 Weekly, in an edi
torial on "Books of Quiet." treats the
works uf Mr. Benson, which It links with
those of Maeterlinck. Charle Wagner. "C.
K-," and Michael Fairless, as the indication
of an important literary tendency in our
day. All of which is worth remembering, as
Mr. Benson books are enjoying a wide
popularity in England and are beginning to
Invade this country.
The rumor that the Nobel prise for litera
ture is to be awarded to Rudyard Kipling,
causes doubt as to tho Justice of the de
cision, says the Manchester Guardian. One
cannot help thinking that the money so
munificently spent by Alfred Nobel on the
encouragement of literary work "of an
Idealising tendency" might be turned to bet
ter account But for Its proper use a trustee
of superhuman insight and critical faculty
would be necessary. Writers who attain
so great a popularity a Mr. Kipling are in
little need of big financial rewbrds; their
literary agents sea to that, and the lot of
the popular author today 1 cast fh very
easy places. But what a number of in
stances one . can derive from a casual
acquaintance with literary history where
such a lump sum aa the Nobel trustee allot
each year would have proved the turning
point in a career. One think of Mr. Mero
dlth. toiling In poverty and neglect to en
dow our literature with one of its finest
portrait galleries: it is an open secret that
at one time he was reduced to cultivating
Ms muse on literal oatmeal In consequence
of bis atern determination to educate the
public up to his level rather than descend
to theirs for mere boiling purposes. One
thinks of Carlyle recording In his
Journal as a document lor the future his
torian of literature that for -a months he
had not succeeded in earning a single penny
by his pen, and that, at the time when he
had already published faartor Resartus
and was meditating the great epic of the
French Revolution. Also, what oi Brows
lng. Thackeray and Chapelian ?
NEW BOOKS RECEIVED.
Lord Cammarlela-h Secret, br Rov Horn!
man; and Theext Door jftfareiands ; by
Emily West wood Lewis, each $1. 50; and
Dorcaster Days, by A. G. Ply mp ton, $1.25,
(Little, Brown Co.)
High .Living, compiled by L. t. McLaren, 70
cents (Paul Elder Co.. a. r
The American Book of Golden Deeds, by
James Baldwin, 50 cents (Am. Book Co.)
Quips avnd Qulddlts, by John B. Tabh
tbmall-Mayuard. )
About Ho.
Detroit Free Press.
Wu Ting-fang,
Is coming back, -
With hla questions
By the stack.
Are you married ?
What's your age?
What's your trade?
And what's your wage? .
Wu Ting-fang,,
Will noon return;
Many things
He'll want to learn.
Do you love
Your wife? and do
Tou believe that
She loves you?
W'u Ting-fang
Will soon be here.
Spreading questions
Far and near.
Trusts and railroad
Magnates flee;
Standard Oil , "
Acts nervously.
Have you skeletons
None sees?
Lock the doors,
And lose the keys.
Run and hide
From his attack;
Curious Wu
Is coming back.
Men of the Trail.
Denver Republican.
Eyes that are narrowed and keen.
Gleaming 'neath hat brims wide;
Cheeks that are browned by the sun.
Vigor in pose and in stride:
Scant of their laughter and speech.
Swept by no impotent gale.
Yet quick unto honor's defense
These be the men of the trail.
Paths that they follow lead far
To the heart of the hills or the plain-
To the snows that gleam white on the crest,
To the horizon lost In the rain;
No flowery byways they seek;
And duty alone Is their grail ;
"Our work, in the storm or the sun,
Murmur the men of the trail.
J .
n hit sin
Pk i rct AuhjmrTpo.5sed with eovj4lvTr&in?
Hi -plume was red Ard ColJ,
Ar oU trowrv ekedrvu! crcKed
I ky rrtuTha.vei ikovght KlrrToold.
Tke fading
lpon mi
e-ovesfken lookad
I 1 .11
e- bounteous aiKt
' Arvd signed ihey 'mid me. lofty
Dots Jack Froil pais lonikl?
Kin Jack will come, Ike keiidlessfellow
Tkrouki counlry lane, and lown
IU orne kaske.rxor- Idled kingdom,
l.wedrsiajeweled crown.
June McMiuTen Ordway.
True Books Ate Kotf
Easier to Find
Than TiruelMcn:
Familiar Letter of J am as Howell. In two
volumas. $5. Houghton, Mifflin & Co.,
Boston, and tho .J. K. Gill Co., Portland.
Amons; dusty treasures of an an
tiquarian's' store, or reposing: on the
shelves ot a well-selected private library
are certain literary treasures that have-
lived for centuries a life of calm seclu
sion, far from the whirl and din of what
we moderns call the six beat sellers.
The monthly magazine knows them ns.t
and their binding is generally of the
best. In this collection of old friends,
the mind unconsciously harks back to
one Pepys and his diary, and possibly
next, comes one James Howell, the bril
liant and witty Welshman, who. In a
series of letters, wrote of life under
Charles I, Cromwell, Charles II and other
historical worthies of that era.
The present volumes consist of a series
of letters written by Howell to his
patrons and other friends, and such is
the esteem in which these amusing mes
sages are held that they have been
looked upon for fxilly 300 years as fa
miliar friends. It is educative to read
history In books usually devoted to that
study and If the truth must be told,
history-telling In that fashion now and
then becomes monotonous and dry. But
In these letters ot the olden time history
takes on a new meaning and kings,
queens, lords and bishops seem to be
come . more human and understandable.
It is related that Howell was poor In
estate, as befitted one of a country cler
gyman's 15 children, and that at Oxford
University he acquired what he called
"the patrimony of a liberal education."
For a number of years he traveled over
Europe, acting for three years as the
agent of a London glass factory, seeking
to obtain workmen, materials and in
spiration from foreign art centers.
Italy seems to have impressed Howell
the most for he writes: "Venice the
rich, Padua the learned, Bologna the fat,
Rome the holy, Naples the gentle, Genoa
the proud, Florence the fair and Milan
the great." The first beautiful woman,
Howell quaintly tells us, was made of
Venice glass, lovely and brittle withal;
and "Eve spoke Italian when Adam was
seduced, for In what other tongue could
she have been so irresistible?"
Howell betrayed a Justifiable pride In
the ability of an English nobleman to
cope with the mighty drinkers of the
North, and he draws this picture:
The King feasted my Lord once, and it
lasted from eleven of the clock till towards
the evening, during which time the King
began SS healths, the nrt to the Emperor,
the second to his nephew of England and o
went over all the King and Queen of.
Christendom: but he never remembered the
Prince of Palsgrave' health, nor hi niece's
all the while. The King waa taken away
at last In his chair, but my Ird of Lei
cester bore up stoutly all the while; so that
when there came two of the King's guard
to take him by the arms, a he was going
down the stairs my Lord shook them off
and went alone. The next morning the
King was gone a-huntlng at break of day;
but going to aome other ot hie officers, their
servant told me without, any appearance
of shame that their master were drunk
over night, and o it would be late before
they would rise.
Howell was a voluminous writer and
his career must have been a checkered
one. He was sent for debt to the Fleet
Street prison, but even there he wrote
hla beloved letters. Seemingly kindly
disposed to most national ties, 'Howell
had an unfavorablevoptnion of the Scotch.
He must have been a judge of good liv
ing, for one of his longest letters is that
dated October 17, 1634, addressed to Lord
Cliff. In which Howell gives an eloquent
description of the liquors of the world.
The rampftre of Mad Anthony, by Dr. Ever
ett T. Tomllnson. Illustrated. 1.50. Hough
ton, Mifflin & Co., Boston.
Anaemic folks are warned away, like
wise those who are wholly engrossed
with their own troubles. This stirring
novel appeals to all who have bounding,
red blood to boast of, and has special.
patriotic meaning for healthy young
Americans. It covers the period between
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V V. Wm 111
Arthur C. Benson
The English Novelist who is an
Apostle of the Meditative Life
1774 and 17TS, and details many adventures
of the great American General, "Mad
Anthony" Wayne, tho burning of a cargo
of Tory tea at Greenwich, N. J., the
tarring of a Tory and describes one of
Wayne's big fights with the British. An
excellent book for younpr (people begin
ning to appreciate serious history. Has
snap and go.
The War of a Man. by' Emerson H'ounb.
lllmtrated. f!.5. The Outing Publishing
Co., New York city.
Pulsing with the spirit of out-of-doors.
first In Virginia, and afterward In the
Middle West, stretching to the American
desert of the late '50s, Mr. Hough'a novel
has elements to make it readable.
Strong character drawing, owning two
sweethearts at the same time, an ex
emplification of a peculiar "Scotch" mar
riage, buffalo hunting, Indian fighting
and concluding about the end of the
book with Incidents relating to the open
ing of the Civil War these are a few
of Mr. Hough's word pictures. His
strongest situation is where he portrays
a young man and a young woman for a
time at least stripped of the convention
alities of civilized life, and almost ex
periencing the Joys of the Garden of
Eden.
Sentiment largely marks the tale for
the first words on page one read: "I
admit I kissed her," and the same five
words mark the conclusion of the 345th
and last page. The story is told by
John Cowles. who first woos Miss Grace
Sheraton and latterly Miss Ellen Merl
wether. In the course ot his travels
Cowles goes West as far as St. Louis,
where be meets Ellen. With a large trav
eling party they cross the great plains
and one day straying from the trail
they are lost In the desert, where they
are forced to live by their wits as
the, first primitive folk did, placing their
cunning against tnat oi animals upon
which they prey.
The two lost ones fall In love with
each other, and Cowles with the aid of
charred stick writes upon the surface
of a hide this covenant: "I, John Cowles,
take thee, Ellen Meriwether, to be my
lawful, wedded wife. In sickness and In
health, for better or for worse, till death
do us part." This covenant Cowles signed,
the girl Affixing only her Christian name.
At this Juncture they are providentially
rescued by United States soldiers and In.
dians.
The villain in the drama Is one Gordon
Orme, Marquis of Bute and Rayne, black
sheep, renegade, spy, desperado and an
expert In uncanny tricks of the Orient.
He boasted that he was a Raja Yogi,
had taken the eight mystic steps; tor
years had kept up the sacred exercises
of breath, posture and thought; had
learned super-conscious reasoning how
to cast his own mind to a distance and
bring other minds close to him. In
sketching Orme's character Mr. Hough
has done remarkably clever work. The
war scenes are good but few. Satan
black horse. Is made to have a dis
tinct personality.
"The Way of a Man" is also distinctive
by its inherent American spirit.
Morning, by Jame Whitcomb Riley. The
Sobbs-Merrlll Co., Indianapolis, Ind.
It's a genuine treat again to look over
a number of new poems by James Whit-
comb Riley, and the pub.shing of them
In this neatly printed, red-covered little
book Is one of the pr.ncipal happenings
this year in American letters.
- A fine picture of the Hoosier poet
adorns the volume, taken from the well-
known portrait by John S. Sargent, in
the John Herron Art Institute, Indian
apolis. The dedication is to Meredith
Nicholson. Dialect. love of home, theol
ogy, war, children' verses and other fine
BBiiiiiuent xut. acroN, uie xtuey canvas,
and after reading them It Is a pleasure
to record that his muse gains new
strength and Is just as pleasing as ever.
Drink In the tenderness warped around
every line of "A Golden Wedding."
Your Qolden Wedding! 50 year
Of comradeship, through smiles and tears!
Through bummer sun, ana winter sleet.
You walked the ways with willing feet;
or. journeying togetner thus,
Sach path held something glorious.
No Winter wind could blow so chill.
But found you even warmer still
In fervor of affection bleat
In knowing all was for the best;
And so, content, you faced the storm
And fared on, smiling, arm-in-arm.
There is real humor In "The Country
Editor," that person of the "thoughtful
brow and face of sallow hue."
A man he 1 deserving well, of tha,-
8o be compassionate yea, pay thy dues.
Nor pamper him with thy Spring-poetry
But haul him wood, or aomethlng be can
use;
And promptly act, nor tarry long whsn he
unawetn. ms pen ana glaretb rabidly.
The most enjoyable of the new dialect
poems are "Ef Uncle Remus Please Ter
Scusen Me," and 'My Little Sadie Sue."
One that is sure to make a popular hit
is "Tne Raggedy Man on Children."
The Best Man, by Harold Macgrath. Illus
trated. -otiD. Merrill Co., indi&napolle,
Ind.
Mr. Macgrath earned fame and ducats
by his great novel, "The Man on the
Box," and now he issues three stories
The Best Man," "Two Candidates" and
-xne Advent or Mr. Shifty Sullivan.'
which will probably be largely read
because they bear the Macgrath stamp.
Candor compels the reviewer to says
However, that these three tales ara
ordinary and not above similar offer
ings in current magazines. "The Best
Man is not about the chief functionary
at a marriage, although the finale sug
gests the ring of wedding bells. Yet
the tale has a mischievous tendency,
because it relates to a three-cornered
fight to a finish which is participated
in by a corporation lawyer, a plutocrat
father who had swindled his business
associates, and a wicked grandfather.
who was a retired burglar, and hadn't
been caught. The plutocrat ought to
have been sent to Jail, but he pur
chases immunity or secrecy by paying
his father 150,000 hush money. That
is where the story does not ring true.
Aa may be guessed, "The Two Candi
dates" is a political story, and relates
to a Mayoralty contest, while the other
tale pictures a prizefight. The Illus
trations ara by Will Grefe and the dec
orations by Franklin Booth.
Mr. Macgrath you can do better
than this.
liife of Japan, by Masujl Miyakawa. The
waiter r xajrior io., iew lors Vliy.
A reauy wen-written, readable ac
count of life in Japan, written by
Japanese, who discusses social, politi
cal, commercial and military questions.
Attention is directed to both ancient"
and modern history in Japan, and it
is a pleasure to read such attractively
decorated pages.
Mr. Mlyakawa says that it is or. !y
after Japan, in her war with Russia,
proved that she could kill more men In
one land battle than in all the land
battles of the Crimean War of the Eng
lish and French, and that Japan could
send to the bottom more ships and sea
men in one naval battle than in all
the battles In Nelson's Trafalgar and
Dewey's Manila Bay that the civilized
world received Japan as a first-class
civilized power and her people a4 a
civilized people. The statement is also
nade that although Japan la by no
means a warlike nation, II she ngnts
It will be because she has to carry out
the mandate of the civilized world.
Yet Mr. Miyikawa presents many
reasons why Japan and America should
not go to war. and suggests that the
two countrle form a congress to deal
with "the questions of commerce, ot
j war and of peace between us and the
rest of the world."
Religion and HUtorie Faith, by Otto PfleH-
erer. r. D.. tl.SO. B. w. Huebsch. .New
Tork City.
Dr. Fflelderer, Protestant theologian,
has an international reputation as the
leading representative of the liberal
theological movement, principally be
cause he writes with authorlay. and
has none of the dogmatic bitterness
which at one time n.arked the German
school of research. The Important
book pow under review was trans
lated from the German by Daniel A.
Huebsch. Ph. D.. and principally con
sists of lectures recently delivered at
the University of Berlin before an audi-
dence compose of students ot all tne
faculties and older noncolleglates.
other portions of the lectures being
given as a public course in a nigii
school period. Tho messages so deliv
ered made a profound Impression among
educated people Interested m tn'.ngs
religious.
It is a rare pleasure to read In Eng
lish such a comprehensive book. Most
of the religious faiths of the world
are critically considered, and with such
tact and ripe Judgment that no one a
convictions or beliefs can possibly be.
wounded, unless these dwell In glass
houses. There are 15 chapters, the.
most Important of these being papers
on Christianity, the Chinese. Egyptian,,
and Babylonian religions, the faith of .
Zarathustra and the Mithra cult,
Brahmanlsm and Gautama Buddha, the
religion of Israel, etc.
IJght-Flngered Gentry, by David Graham.
Phillips. 11.50. 0. Appleton & Co., iew
York City.
Not so very long ago, this novel ex
posing Insurance graft and the money
madness that is plain theft, would,
have created an explosion wherever
read. But, so many plutocrats, nnan-.
rial man-nates, and worried lawbreak
ers generally, have lately been placed
on the rack, that the public makes
Blgns that it wants a rest.
Withal Mr. Phillips- new novel
dealing with the O. A. D. insurance
corporation end the grafters harteing
to its vine lke leeches, must be con
sidered. For, It Is a powerfully drawn'
storv where high finance holds you
In Its grip and fighting, money kings
turn out to be warriors worth watch
ing. Horace Armstrong, a suitable
for such a strong character. Is
-n.-Hna- onnnerh to be compelling, and
you flnd yourself becoming Interested
in him and his money talks. The book'
is piquant and full of the spice of life..
Grandmother, by Laura E. Richards, 13
cents. Dana, Este & Co.. Boston.
Has freshness, delicacy and charm
recalling some of the best work ot
Louisa A. Alcott and Mrs. Wllklns-
Freeman. The tale reveals the gentle
personality of a girl named Miss Pity,
who was married to uranaiaiimr
hoi was married by urandiatner
Merion, because her folks were aeaa,
and she hadn't anyone left to look af
ter her. She was, in derision, called
grandmother. She suffered much per
secution from the relatives sne
ade through her hasty marriage, es-
DecTallv the brimstone vocal abuse of
Miss Rachel, who was Known
woman who would not learn" to gov
ern herself and more particularly her
tongue.
This little book r.as a mission, may
it sail on.
Boys of the Border,
by Mary P. Wall
$1.25. Little. Brown
Smith. Illustrated,
& Co.. Boston.
The third volume of the well-known
Old -Deerfield Series." this, the "Boys
of the Border." narrates thrilling lights
hiwun white settlers and Indians in
I the Deerfield Valley durlnr; French and
Indian wars, from 1746 to 1765, espe
cially those conneoted with the line
of forts along, the northwest border of
Massachusetts, and north up to th
Connecticut River. Just the kind of
a healthy story for American boys
nn-rinun to read about doughty pioneers.
who helped to mould this country's
destinies at a time when Oregon was
yet a primitive wilderness.
When King Go Forth to Battle, by William
Wallace WhiteiecK. luusirtiieu. .
B. Lippincott Co., Philadelphia.
Another brave echo of a Zenda story.
This time the scene is laid ia the King
dom of Westrum. a mythical EuTopean
country where at the opening of the
story revolutionists were trying to un
seat the reigning monarch. King Lud-
wle. In favor ot his cousin, prince Ru
dolf, a popular favorite. Wyffeffoth. a
young man from New York, supports Lu
dolf and then there's something doing.
The American girl in the case is Eunice
Earle In this dashing romance lnwrent
Is never permitted to flag, and the clash
of sworos ana Dang oi piio .mm
at regular Intervals.
A Child's Book of Abriogea wwac, w
Child Harold. T5 cents, raui x-oi-
Co.. New York City. '
A beautifully and quaintly Illustrated
little book for children, recalling inaj
style of Kate Greenaway. the pictures
being In colors and accompanied by
amusing verse. One bit of advice given
to small boys and girls is:
Speak kindly to the wild flower.
And call them a they're named:
For everything that' wild, my child. -
Ia anxlou to be tamea.
And If you do as I suggest.
l naves i m-nr uouut
But that they will become o tame,
They'll follow you about:
Bean Brocade, by Barones orczy. illus
trated. J. 1. l-ippmcotl -o.. rntnaei
phla. With th scene laid in England about
the year 1745, thls-romance Is of the rat
tling, exciting sort, telling aDout tne ao-
mea ui . ... , . .....
White Dragoons, who. because or tne
treachery of a superior officer, waa dis
missed from the army of the DuKe et
Cumberland, and afterward earned re
nown as Beau Brocade, nignwayman..
There is action a-plenty, and the illus
trations in color by Clarence F. under
wood are unusually good.
A Man of Sark. by John Oienbsm. Illustrat
ed, si.oo. .patter t isyior -u., new ioi
City.
There's the tang of the salt breeze as
the advancing tide Iburies Itself in spray
against the Jagged rock ot Sark, one
Of the Channel Islands. The time of the,
tale la about 107 years ago, wnen cng-
land was busily engaged in ngnting
France and Spain, and most of tne peo
ple portrayed are hearty fishermen. Mr.
Oxenham has written a strong story
marked by vigor and softened by poetlo
feeling. -..
Fishermen' Iuck.
The Judge For two years you men
have fished together, peaceable, and yet
von fourht- over this fish.
The Sportsman you see. your nonor,.
this is the first one we aver caught!